続 Zoku: 心苦し編 Kokorokurushi-hen
by Cherrylin
Summary: Continuation: Heart Suffering Arc; "The little girl laughed happily.They had defeated the tragedy. The little girl laughed happily. They had been given the gift of future. The little girl cried desperately. For how long would their future be a tragedy?"
1. Prologue

_**16**__**th**__** July 2012**_

**To **those of you who already are familiar with the story, and are here to read the 'new' version and follow it, thank you so much for not giving up on me nor this story! Your support means more to me than I can possibly express, and I want to especially thank those of you who left me reviews and constructive critique; I will try your advice!

**To** new readers, well, aren't you lucky to have been spared a very huge mess? ! Welcome! I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

_Shō__wa 58, July 3 - Sunday._

The ticking of a clock. The steady beeping, and a slight echo in the practically colorless room. The lamp flickered a little, reaching out like a long arm from the wall. It was a little bit cold, but despite the lack of a window, the air wasn't stuffy. It was scentless though, very much matching the rest of the insipid room. The only part of the flat scene that stood out, was the big, smiling teddy bear, sitting motionless on the nearby counter. In its paw, it held a bright, pink flower, but there was a layer of dust over the brown synthetic fur. Even though it seemed lifeless, two young teenagers were filling it with their presence - or that would say, one of them was barely there. It had been more than a year since he had ended up in this bed, but never had his eyes opened, never had his voice spoken. A body, filled with so much life, yet so devoid of vitality, all his breaths taken through a mask.

And by his side, sitting on the edge of his bed, a young girl was looking at him with her teal eyes and a heavy heart. Her long, green hair was hanging loosely over her bare shoulders, her head tilted ever so slightly. She was always here every evening, faithfully by the unconscious boy's side, her love for him unwavering.

"She'll be okay," the girl promised with a sigh, turning her gaze away. Her mind was a mess, a racing tornado, the week's incidents hammering painfully in her head. She was usually quite chatty with the boy despite how one-sided the conversations were, but her spirit was drained by fatigue, in spite of how her heart was filling up with relief. "She'll be okay," she repeated as she closed her eyes, thinking of the boy's younger sister.. It had been four days since the she had been freed from their uncle's abusive hands, but her body still wore the dark bruises, the proof of the pain she had been through.. the day they had managed to free her, she had barely been standing.. days of bottled up tears had raced down her sore cheeks..

The teenage girl winced, opening her eyes again. Nobody should ever have to suffer like her younger friend had, but at least it was over now. They had all stood strong, and they had overcome the tragedy that was trying to ruin them.. yet, even when they had the power to create miracles like that, the blonde boy, her love, would still not wake up. The green-haired girl tried to repress a tear, but a stubborn drop of liquid escaped her eyelids as she blinked. "She needs you, Satoshi-kun," she murmured. "She needs her brother, her.. her nii-nii.."

The boy's face was lacking expression as usual, completely oblivious to her.

A jolting pain was shredding her heart, her broken, torn up heart. It was no new experience to her, but she always hoped, always longed, for him to open his eyes, or curve his lips into a smile, or any sign that he was alive, that he heard her. "Please.. Satoshi-kun.. we _both_ need you.. come back," she took his hand in hers, squeezing carefully as her voice faded into a whisper. "Wake up.."

Nothing. No reaction. Just his steady breathing through the mask that covered half his face, the very mask that kept him sleeping. Of course he'd never wake up through it, and a twisted desire to take it off kept clawing at the girl's sanity.. but she knew he was in no state to come back yet. He thought that everyone was out to attack him; his wrists and ankles were restrained to the bed for that very reason.. but if only... if only it wasn't like this.. It was cruel, it was a demon testing her patience, her loyalty, her self-control. If only it'd stop..

The girl, crying silently, laid her head carefully on his chest, shedding her tears on the thin blanket. Softly pleading to him, to anyone, that he'd come back. She lost her sense of time, praying for his return, promising she'd take care of his younger sister.. waiting.

Then sleep finally took over her exhausted, drained body, her narrowed eyes closing, the tears continuing to fall.

**'''**

A careful hand on the girl's shoulder was gently shaking her awake. Upon opening her eyes slowly, she easily recognized the familiar, white room in the clinic's basement. Her head was resting on the warm, soft belly of the sleeping boy, the boy she loved so deeply. The low, persistent beeping, imitating his heartbeat, was like a comforting lullaby to her. She felt cozy enough to close her eyes and continue to sleep here.. though, she knew she couldn't, and after a few moments of hesitation, she finally sat up. She fixed her white, sleeveless shirt as its hem had coiled up, and she noticed her back had gone sore from her twisted position. Her cheeks were faintly marked with lines of dried tears, the transparent stains cracking as she rubbed her face. A yawn escaped her, she instinctively arrayed a strand of her green hair behind her ear, and wet her moistureless lips with her tongue.

Then she finally blinked and turned her attention toward the man who had woken her up, and was met by his friendly, forest-green gaze. He was looking at her, his eyes slightly sympathetic behind his glasses, and she immediately identified the familiar, brown-haired man; Irie Kyōsuke. The girl wanted to give him a smile to acknowledge his presence, but her lips remained a straight line on her face.

"It's late, Shion-chan," he said softly from where he stood behind the chair the girl so often occupied.

"Mhmm, I know," Shion muttered softly, even though she was completely unaware of the time. More out of an impulse than curiosity, she looked over her shoulder and cast a drowsy look at the clock above the door; about a quarter to midnight. "You gotta be kiddin' me," she said, her voice sounding indifferent. While mentally surprised, her slender body made no response to that fact, leaving her to look utterly unaffected. Her grandmother would probably yell at her the rest of the night as soon as she got home, but she couldn't even be bothered to worry, too tired to deal with it.

"I waited for you to wake up, but you sure did look like you could sleep all night."

Shion looked back at the doctor, at first feeling like she just noticed him. Then she yawned again, turning her attention to the boy, wishing again that he'd open those dark, mauve-colored eyes. It hurt to watch him every day, it hurt to wait for something like this, but she needed him. She wanted to be there, in case he gave even a tiny sign of being alive.. she wanted to be there when it happened.. _if_ it happened. The girl winced, as if somebody had just jammed a needle in her skin; it wasn't _if_. He'd come back.. he'd most certainly come back some day.. "It feels like I haven't slept at all," she confessed softly.

"Not so strange when you've been hunched over an already occupied hospital bed," the doctor said with light amusement in his voice. "But Shion-chan, you should head back home now, to your own bed. Your family must be getting worried."

She let out a hopeless huff. "Meh. I bet only my sister is, Irie-sensei. The rest of them don't give a damn anyway."

"Nah, come on," he encouraged, "they're happy you transferred here. Even Oryō-san."

The girl narrowed her teal eyes, still not looking at him. "I doubt it." She was a disgrace to the family; she knew that much. It had taken her days of pleading and begging before she finally managed to get permission to move in to the Sonozaki manor, to finally be allowed in Hinamizawa, to be with the only friends she had.. and even now, it was as if it was only a matter of time before her grandmother would get tired of her. Her sister was sharing her room with her, and Shion was practically living a life of trying to not get in the way. The last thing she wanted, was to be moved back to St. Lucia's school.. far away from everyone.. her sister, her friends.. Satoshi.

Irie sighed. "Oryō-san has been keeping too much to the traditions, Shion-chan. Just like she did with the Hōjōs. Though, it turned out she never had anything personal against neither Satoshi-kun nor Satoko-chan, so why would she be against her very own granddaughter? Shion-chan, of course they care about you-"

"They threw me away!" She finally turned her attention to him, gritting her teeth angrily. "Like _garbage_, they sent me away! Out of sight, out of mind!"

He only looked at her with a soft gaze, putting his hand reassuringly on her shoulder again.

Then Shion exhaled deeply, looking back at the sleeping boy. A low apology to the doctor escaped her lips before the room got silent again, save for the noise from the equipment. She didn't feel like going home, but she knew she'd only get in more trouble with every passing minute if she didn't leave soon.. trouble she didn't need. Irie's hand let go of her, and the teenage girl got up without another word, petted Satoshi's hair softly as a quiet goodbye. Then she dragged her feet toward the glass door, her head hanging rather miserably. Her fingers grabbed the handle, but before she opened it, she turned her attention to the doctor one last time. "Please.. call me if anything happens."

He gave her a friendly smile. "Of course, Shion-chan. As always."

* * *

**[A/N]**

And that, folks, was the prologue of Kurushi-hen. Hmm, will Satoshi survive? Will Shion get in trouble? Will Cherrylin get away with writing a prologue based on SatoShion, when most of the story is based on the entire club? We'll see!

Leave a review with your thoughts and constructive criticism; it makes the authress happy.

Next chapter should be up pretty soon.. and if you know nothin' about any "updating" and stuff, well, then you're lucky! (Go to the "old" Kurushi-hen if you're too curious and read the message at the first or last page.)

~ Cherrylin

_Special thanks; to Cosmo, for your support, criticism and encouragement!_


	2. Part I: Only the Beginning

_**17**__**th**__** July 2012**_

**DISCLAIMER:**

_Higurashi no Naku Koro ni_ and its original characters belong entirely to Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion. Any possible resemblance to any person, living or dead, is merely a coincidence. This fictional work is written by C. 'Cherrylin' L. G.; resemblances to the plot, story and concept is not intended, and should not be accused as copied or traced work. All content is fictitious, and should not be confused with real events.

* * *

**ひぐらしのなく頃に続 苦し編**

**PART I: Only the Beginning**

_The little girl laughed happily._

_They had defeated the tragedy._

_The little girl laughed happily._

_They had been given the gift of future._

_The little girl cried desperately._

_For how long would their future be a tragedy?_

* * *

**[A/N]**

I'll try to keep this short, but I also think that it would be pointless to only upload this little poem, so I figured the disclaimer would go nicely here. Think of it as a book; a prologue on the first few pages, and then the actual 'welcome to the book' thing.. like, the title, and whatnot.

First of all, a warning; that M rating isn't there for fun's sake or in attempt to impress people. Now, the first part (I'll explain that below this) isn't all that bad regarding this, but the second part might make some people.. uncomfortable. Therefore, I wish to warn you readers beforehand that this story contains a _lot_ of suffering (hence why it's called Kurushi-hen; Suffering Arc). This suffering is mainly psychological, and even if there'll be some physical violence, this story focuses on very, very grim and dark parts of the human mind. It's _not_ a typical Higurashi kind of "insanity" though, so if that's what you're looking for, you've come to the wrong story. It's not 'horror'. I would wish I could explain more, but I believe that'd spoil too much.

I'll give an overall warning though; this story _will_ contain violence, abuse, self-destruction, strong language, sexual themes and a hell of a lot of suffering.. just to put emphasis on the suffering part.

Second thing I wanted to say, this story is divided into three parts. And also, all chapters (prologue is excluded) have 'intros' at the top. These are small, italic text that represent the thoughts of a character. The character isn't necessarily the same, and not necessarily revealed. What they have to 'say' is in a sort of 'interview' sort of style. They're there for some foreshadowing, mainly, and they might not be related to the chapter which they appear.

..so much for trying to keep it short.. pff.

~ Cherrylin


	3. Chapter 1: Late

_**30**__**th**__** July 2012**_

YO!

So.. I'm at a sort of school with Japanese culture and whatnot (would take forever to explain), which lasts an entire week. I didn't think I'd get time for fanfic at all, but seems that there are some longer breaks where I figured I might as well get some of all this done and free up my conscience.

That's all I'll say for now. Enjoy!

* * *

_We defeated Miyo. We defeated the endless June, the tragedy. There were no deaths, sacrifices, disappearances after the Watanagashi Festival. We had won the right to happiness. We had won the right to live. And we had learned how to create miracles. How to stand together and fight when tragedy tried to strike again; Satoko's uncle came back, but we defeated it. We proved our strength. This is what we can do when we stand together.. but what if the tragedy itself pulled us apart?_

_We didn't realize it.. we didn't realize what was happening.. until it was too late..._

**CHAPTER 1.1 (1): Late**

Birds' chirping reached her ears as she opened the window, and dazzling sunlight lit up the room. Hanyū, neither goddess, demon nor human, tilted her horned head as she let in the morning air. Just woken up, she rubbed her purple eyes carefully, then stretched her child-like body, accompanied by a soft yawn.

It had been... years, centuries even, since she had lived a normal life like this, but she couldn't really get used to it. Just like anyone else, she had been born a child, grown up to adult, but after her sacrificial death at the hands of her daughter, Ōka, her spirit had taken the form of a young girl in the age of twelve - the age of Furude Rika in Shōwa 58 - becoming invisible to those around her.. A goddess, unable to do anything but wander Hinamizawa for so many eras.

She had been watching over the village, and her family, the Furude bloodline.. but had been alone, unable to talk to anyone. Though, then Rika had been born, and for the first time since her death, Hanyū had been able to make eye-contact with someone; the newborn, blue-haired little baby. There had been no mistaking that curious gaze; she could see her. That feeling of finally sharing eye-contact with someone had shocked her at first, but then filled her with so much happiness. And eventually, as Rika grew up, they found out the two of them could talk too; she could hear her. Hanyū became a mother-like figure for the girl, and a 'secret friend'. Playing with her, comforting her, even if they could not feel each other..

Then, about eight years after Rika's birth, the "Curse of Oyashiro" begun. A curse that said, that on the night of the Watanagashi Festival, one person would end up dead, and another would disappear as a sacrifice;

In Shōwa 54, the curse had involved workers of the dam construction project; one was brutally murdered, and one was never found.

Shōwa 55, Hōjō Satoko's parents fell from the Shirakawa park, and into the river several meters below. Her father was found dead, but her mother's body never showed up.

Shōwa 56, it had been Rika's parents turn. Her father died suddenly, her mother went missing, with suggestions that she had committed suicide in the Onigafuchi swamp.

Shōwa 57, Satoko's aunt had been beaten to death, and her brother, Hōjō Satoshi, went missing.

Shōwa 58, the year of the never ending tragedy. Tomitake Jirō would always be found dead on the side of the road, having clawed out his throat. Takano Miyo's burned body would be found in a barrel far out in the forest. The same year, Rika would be killed.

Of course, it turned out to be far less of a mystery than the village seemed to believe. There was no such thing as a curse. The dam workers had gotten aggressive out of stress, and the five of them ended up murdering their leader. In the end, they had cut his limbs off, each of the workers taking one with them so that they would be charged equally if found. One of the workers ended up in the basement of the clinic, and as he showed signs of the Hinamizawa Syndrome, had his skull cut open by Irie Kyōsuke and Miyo so his brain could be used for live study. The second year, Satoko had succumbed to the syndrome, and had been the one to push her parents off the cliff. Third year, Rika's father had been poisoned, and her mother abducted by Miyo, murdered in the basement of the clinic. Fourth year, Satoshi had beaten his aunt up, before the syndrome broke out in his body, and Irie had taken him to the clinic, where he still lay in a comatose to this day.

But the fifth year had always been a mystery. Two had showed up dead, and in some worlds, two of their friends, Sonozaki Shion and Maebara Keiichi had been involved in it, too. Rika would often die by the Furude shrine, cut open, unless she committed suicide when she realized the world was lost.

And thus, Hanyū took Rika back in time. For a hundred years worth in days, the two had travelled through time, repeating the endless tragedy of June, Shōwa 58. Eventually, Hanyū had come to accept it, selfishly refusing to let Rika go.. but ever so slowly, the goddess lost power. The time they could go back gradually decreased.. and so, in the end, the goddess had managed to become a part of the world, be there physically.. and then, they won. Standing together, all of them, the club, they won against the endless tragedy. They stood up against Miyo, who had turned out to be behind everything, to be the one murdering Rika in every world.. and they _won_. With strong willpower, belief and friendship, they had defeated tragedy itself.

Though, ever since that Watanagashi Festival, Hanyū had lost all of her powers. All she was now, was a twelve year old girl - with horns. She'd never be able to travel back in time again. Never be able to change the future. This was the _very last world_. Now that the tragedies had been defeated though, she expected she'd grow again. She had a suspicion, that when she became a twelve-year old, it was to match the age of Rika in Shōwa 58. Destined to join the world again. Yet, she felt out of place, even if Hinamizawa had been her home for.. ages.

A low, tired moaning sounded behind her, and Hanyū turned her head to see the twelve-year old Satoko shift in her sleep, lying on the futon beside Rika's. There wasn't much space in this abandoned.. shed-like house, but the three of them had made it their home. They had just one room they used as kitchen, living room and bedroom - putting the futons away into the closet every morning, and replacing the space with a table. The room itself was upstairs. The ground floor of the building was used as storage and garage for their bikes, and there was also a bathroom down there. It was small, but it was home.

...Satoko.. It had only been a few days since they rescued her from her uncle's hands. In many worlds, her uncle had returned to torment her, and it had always ended in tragedy, except in the world they had called Minagoroshi, the world prior to this one. It was in that world that they had learned to stand together, to save Satoko. When that man had returned in this world, after the endless tragedy, they had used the same knowledge, same technique, to save the blonde girl. She still wore bruises from the abuse, but they would fade away soon.

Hanyū smiled. _There was no tragedy they couldn't defeat._

**'''''**

Less than four hours of sleep had left the sixteen year old girl completely drained of energy. Eating her breakfast slowly, her mind had drifted off, and yet, was barely stable enough to keep one thought at a time. Her twin sister was somewhere in their shared room, setting up her hair, almost finished with her morning routine. Though, Sonozaki Shion was only poking her rice distantly, one hand supporting her heavy head.

"Child, will you hurry up! ?" Sonozaki Oryō, grandmother of the twins, snapped aggressively. She was sitting in front of the tired teenager, staring at her with eyes full of venom. The elder woman was always trying to find some excuse to express her discontent with Shion's existence.

"I'm tired, alright?" Gritting her teeth, the girl took another bite. "I won't be late anyway.."

Displeased, Oryō huffed. "You have to stop helping out at that clinic."

"W-what?" Shion looked up at her, suddenly feeling more awake. Her grandmother wasn't fond of the Hōjō family, and thus, the girl had had to lie her way out to see Satoshi every evening, saying she was helping at the Hinamizawa clinic for free.. though it wasn't exactly a lie, she _did _help Irie fairly often. "Why? That's ridiculous!"

"Do you think I believe a word of what you say? Exactly how stupid do you think I am?"

"I-.. That's not it! Onibaba, ever since all that with Takano-san, Irie-sensei's been in great need of extra hands!"

Her grandmother just looked at her dully, smiling grimly. "Helping out at a clinic for free, every night without fail, Sunday till Saturday. Coming home late, sometimes past midnight. You're there long after the clinic closes. Exactly what 'help' are you even doing there, eh? Are you even at the clinic? In Hinamizawa?"

Shion swallowed a little. As far as she knew, Mion was the only other person who knew she was visiting Satoshi, and definitely the only one in this house who'd ever understand. If her grandmother figured this out, she'd be an outcast to the village, unable to ever see Satoshi, Satoko, Mion.. Rena... all her friends. No. There was no way she'd ever let this woman take away her happiness. "There are patients who need to be watched over, and there's tests that need to be run. Blood tests, for example. Irie-sensei don't have time to do all this on his own, so I help him out with it. I'm even learning quite a lot about healthcare and medicine. Problem?"

"Yes," Oryō hissed. "It's affecting your behavior and your school. You stay away from that 'clinic', and I won't hear a word more from you about it! If you're so happy to work there, then get an actual work schedule, payment and quit that sick excuse of a restaurant!" There was a clear distrust in her gaze; she didn't believe a word of what her granddaughter said, and had probably already made her assumptions.

"It's only been two weeks! How can you not allow me to help out at a clinic in need! ?"

"Don't talk back to me like that! Or maybe you miss St. Lucia's that much?"

Shion felt rage fill her up, but she forced herself to calm down. Of everything, she didn't want to transfer back to that hell of a school. That school wasn't meant for education, it was a prison meant to brainwash its victims. An all girls' boarding school. All those rumors about others, and hot-boys talk made her feel sick. She definitely didn't consider herself a tomboy like her sister was, but she didn't want to act like a bitch either.. and St. Lucia's was practically a Christian bitch school. A place for pampered princesses of all ages. A place where "fun" was sitting naked in a hot spring all day talking about marriage and fashion - and of course, talking about others behind their back, gossipping and telling secrets. All teachers, mainly nuns (who had to be called 'sister'), had to be respected and looked up to, even though they'd hit you with the Bible if you said something as ''bad as ones own opinion''.

No.. Shion wanted to stay here. This was her home. If Oryō thought she could throw her back to that hell, she was wrong. She'd just run back to Hinamizawa, maybe stay with Satoko, Rika and Hanyū. Still though, it'd feel best on her conscience to have her grandmother's acceptance, so she lowered her tone. "Sorry, Onibaba.. but I'm not in your way. I'm not causing trouble to the family. I'm just somewhat exhausted and tired, but I'm managing just fine on my own. I'm not neglecting my chores in this house either. So.. why do you even care? You never cared about what happened to me until I came here."

"Why, you," Oryō's eyes darkened in anger, her wrinkles forming around her growling lips. "I have to look at your face every morning. Have some dignity-"

"Hey-hey, Batcha'!" Mion interrupted enthusiastically, entering the dining room behind her grandmother. She put a hand on the elder woman's shoulder. "Don't talk to Shion, or she'll never finish up her breakfast!" A sly smile curved the tomboy's lips, and winking, she gave her sister a thumbs-up.

In sheer annoyance, their grandmother gritted her teeth, but said nothing.

It was hard for Shion not to smile. Her sister always seemed to save her in these situations, and it warmed her heart. They were close, their bond strong and firm.. and they'd always be. _Nothing will ever break us apart._

**'''''**

She inhaled the hot Summer air, then breathed out in a sigh; how long had she been waiting? Ten minutes? It felt like even more.. the weather was hot and humid - even this early in the morning - making the red-haired girl uncomfortable and sweaty. Hopefully, it wouldn't get any worse. It was only the beginning of July after all. The girl wiped off the sweat from her forehead, her blue eyes focused on the large, white house in front of her. If her friend didn't come out soon, she'd have to go. Not only because of the unbearable heat, but she'd be late for school.

Still though.. the fifteen year old girl, Ryūgū Rena, couldn't let go of her growing anxiety; she and Keiichi always went together, meeting up with the Sonozaki twins at the watermill on the way to school.. so why wasn't he here? She tensed, questions rushing through her mind. Was he sick, injured, or just sleeping in? There had been no reply when she had knocked on the door.. and as usual, the garage was open, but the car was missing.. maybe he wasn't even home? Swallowing, Rena tensed as her heart skipped a beat; what if something had happened, and his parents had had to take him to the hospital? ! She felt urged to go into the house to check if he was there, but then she shook the thought away; he was probably fine. It wasn't unusual for him to sleep in anyway, and the recent incidents with Satoko had just made her concerned.. maybe Keiichi was just exhausted, seeing as he had done quite a bit in the effort to save their blonde friend from the hands of her abusive uncle..

Tilting her head to the sky, a gentle breeze seemed to encourage her to go. The lack of the usual company gnawed at her, and she'd rather chat with the twins opposed to standing here aimlessly. Rena hesitated for a moment, still looking at the window nervously, but then she finally turned around and left the house behind her.

So much had been going on lately.. The whole fight with Takano Miyo and the Yamainu was still fresh in her mind, and not long after that incident, Satoko's uncle had returned to Hinamizawa.. even if the club had defeated both challenges, it had still left the redhead slightly paranoid. What more would try to take away their happiness and peace? They had all learned that even the slightest little change could determine the result between life and death.. but they had also learned that standing together would give them the power to create miracles.

Rena shook her head a bit, trying to get rid of her racing thoughts. There hadn't been much peace in her mind ever since the Watanagashi Festival, with the exception of when she was together with her friends. The water mill had come into sight, so she'd have the twins' company in a matter of seconds... and yet.. the twins were only _just_ arriving at the mill now, Shion a few steps behind her sister. They were late, too. Was this a coincidence, or..?

"Stop it, Rena," the girl mumbled very quietly to herself. "You're getting way too paranoid now." Logic told her that 'of course' there was nothing to worry about.. but what _if_ Fate was trying to give them some kind of.. message? Warning?

"Oi, Rena!"

Instantly, all her unreasonable worry disappeared, and the girl perked her attention toward the familiar voice. Mion waved to her enthusiastically, the tomboy's eyes gleaming. A smile curved Rena's lips as she waved back to the twins. "Good morning, Mi-chan, Shi-chan!"

Shion on the other hand, was far more tired. The girl blinked a couple of times when they all halted by the mill, as if she had only just woken up. Her eyes remained full of exhaustion, and her wry smile was clearly forced. "Oh. Good morning, Rena. How are you doing?" She had barely spoken, when the smile dropped a little, her eyes becoming distant again.

"Rena's doing great." Her gentle expression was showing joy, but a needle of concern prickled Rena as she watched her friend. It wasn't so unusual that Shion seemed to be elsewhere, but during the past month, the elder teenager had gradually become more and more run down with fatigue. Rena _knew_ there was something bothering her, something that was weighing down on the girl's heart and soul.. she was struggling, pretending to be happy when clearly, she was crying inside. Though, Shion had managed to hide this really well from most.. the incidents with Satoko's uncle had probably drained her of the last strength she had had. "What about you?"

Mion gave her a thumbs-up and a cheeky wink, but Shion didn't seem to notice the question.

_Hopefully, it'll all be over soon,_ Rena thought, her gaze still locked on Shion; the two of them had become best of friends, but even so, she clearly didn't want to talk about it. Rena had tried quite a few times to offer her help, but Shion would just shake her head and say she'd tell about it some other day. For now, Rena had decided to wait patiently for that 'other day', letting Shion be in her own pace. Mion didn't seem so concerned though, so obviously the twins had already talked about it.

"Hmm, where'd ya hide Kei-chan?" The tomboy asked, her lips curving into a grim, almost cruel smile. "Were we too rough with him after the last activity?"

Rena giggled, happy that Mion ignored the fact they had only just won the 'battle' against Satoko's uncle. "I think Keiichi-kun's sleeping in."

"Tch, he's just a coward," sighing, her hand waved out in the air in a hopeless gesture. "Afraid I'll force him in a swimsuit and attach a couple of cat ears and a tail.. and a bell collar to go along with it, of course."

"Seems like Mi-chan's already planned out the next punishment~?"

The tomboy revealed her teeth in the sadistic smile that followed. Rena just laughed a little; everyone in the club was well aware their leader had fallen for Keiichi, except the boy himself. For how long would he fail to realize that? It was a pretty good question really, but as long as it didn't cause anyone - mainly the two of them - any misery, Rena was perfectly fine with it.

"It sure is hot today," Shion muttered lowly, breaking the bit of silence.

"Mmm, but as long as we all make sure to drink a good amount of water, we should be fine," her sister said in an apathetic voice. "In other news," Mion turned her attention back to Rena, "it seems that after the police arrested Satoko's uncle, they found the corpse of some woman too.. seems the two of them have been involved with some blackmailing and badgering.."

Catching her interest, Rena looked curiously at the tomboy. "Woman..?"

"Yeah, Mamiya Ritsuko.. or Rina, her stage name."

The redhead blinked a little, memories of the lilac-haired woman jumping into her mind. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she realized she had murdered her in the past worlds; she had been a threat to her and her father. The sound of her screams, the feeling of blood.. cutting off the limb- Rena shook the memories away. She didn't want to think about it.. it didn't matter here anyway. "How did she die?"

Mion seemed a little awkward at that question, looking away. "Well.. She had been involved with my family.. Don't go around tellin' this to everyone, but it'd seem part of the yakuza.. got her." Then the tomboy cleared her throat briefly, and looked back at her again. "Though, what interests me, is that she died just prior to Satoko's uncle returned. Since they were connected, I suppose her death is what caused him to come back."

"This is a grim topic, Onee.." Shion looked at her sister coldly. "And we're late for school already. There was no point in bringing that up, you idiot."

"Alright, alright.. We might as well wait a few more minutes for Kei-chan though."

**'''''**

_Damn it!_

The young boy darted through the sunlit village, as fast as his legs could carry him. His violet eyes were filled with frustration; he was late. A good thirty minutes too late. His parents hadn't woken him up as usual; just left a note saying they had to go all the way to Tokyo because of his father's work. He knew that some things were about to change with his father's business, but he would never have expected that his parents - especially both of them - would suddenly leave like that without a warning, and definitely not so early in the morning.. and if Rena had rung the door bell, then he hadn't heard it. He cursed himself for sleeping in, but more because of his hunger opposed to the fact he was late; he had skipped breakfast and forgotten to make himself a lunch. His stomach complained loudly.. hopefully the others were willing to share a bit.

_The girls are probably all already at the school! Damn it, damn it, damn it! _

The water mill came into his sight; Rena and the twins were all standing there, Mion having her hands at the back of her head in her usual confident pose. Though, when she spotted him, she took her arm down and pointed at him. The boy could all too easily imagine her sneering mockingly at him.. She was yelling at him, but he couldn't hear her, the wind in his ears distorting her words. He felt almost victorious when he finally reached them, then instantly bend over, hands on his knees as he panted. "Oi.. yo, girls.."

"My goodness Kei-chan, you're _late_!" Mion harassed. "You just _want_ to go home in a girly dress, don'tcha!"

"You try runnin' from my house.. all the way to here!" The sixteen year old Maebara Keiichi scowled, gasping for air as he eyed the tomboy. Even though he was starving, it was probably for the better his stomach was empty; otherwise, he'd have thrown up.

The harsh leader laughed at him. "This old man could do that _with ease_!"

_As if. _Keiichi stood up properly, staring at her with a challenge in his eyes. Though, before he could start a verbal fight with her, the tomboy changed the subject..

"Man! I don't get how you could just let Rena wait like that! In this heat!"

"H-hey! It's not like it was on purpose! !" He felt rather confused at how rapid this situation unfolded, feeling as if he couldn't really follow what was going on. "I slept in, that's all!"

"Haau~ Rena thinks Keiichi-kun had really, really sweet dreams~!" The red-haired girl was barely able to stand still, her hands on her cheeks. A perverted glint shone in Mion's gleaming eyes, a sly smile curving one side of her lips.

"Had not!" Keiichi objected between his breath, looking aggressively at the club leader opposed to at Rena. Though, the boy never had time to redeem himself, before he felt someone practically run into him with a strong pair of arms squeezing him tight. "Argh! R-Rena! L-let g-go! I can't.. bre-breathe! !"

His begging was in vain though, the red-haired girl almost trying to spin him around. "So cute, so _cute!_ Keiichi-kun dreamt about Mii-chan! He did! He did, Rena knows! So _cuuute! !_"

"W-what! N-no!" _I had the weirdest dream about vegetables performing ballet, if you absolutely have to know! _"Let go!"

"Okay, let's get goin', I don't need Chie-sensei to yell at me again!" Mion interrupted suddenly.

The boy felt how he was able to breathe again when Rena finally let go of him. Keiichi coughed, feeling somewhat dizzy. He was about to say something to Mion, but when he looked at her as she took the lead, he saw a faint blush on her cheeks.. and then he noticed Shion, as if he hadn't seen her until just now; though, the silent sister was just smiling slyly.

**'''''**

There had been no time for the four teenagers to greet the remaining three club members; by the time they reached the school, their teacher, Chie Rumiko, was practically opening the door, about to enter the building. Her glare as she eyed them had been filled with a warning threat, not even saying a simple 'good morning' to any of them. Humbly, the four had went inside in silence, taking off their shoes and entering the classroom.

Rena was trying not to pant too much, sitting down on her seat beside Keiichi. She nodded briefly to the others, feeling a pang of worry when she saw how Satoko was still covered in bruises. Though, that worry quickly faded away when she saw the teasing grin on the blonde's face. Rika was giving them a happy smile, Hanyū staring at them with a gentle hopelessness.

Her gaze travelling through the classroom, her eyes stopped at the sight of an unfamiliar figure by the blackboard. A tall, black-haired boy looked out at them with his dark brown eyes, cold and devoid of interest.

_A new student? Here, now? Just a month before the Summer holidays?_

She scanned him, deciding he had to be about fifteen, or sixteen, like the twins. He was rather muscular, wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of black pants. There was a scar on his left arm. Judging by his appearance, he was a bit of a brute, yet he was very, very calm as he looked at the class. Rena's stomach twisted a bit with anxiety; he didn't seem all that friendly. Hopefully he wouldn't replace Mion as class representative just because of his age, in the case he was older. Turning her gaze to the tomboy, Rena suspected she had the same worry, noticing how the proud Mion tapped her fingers quietly on the table.

"Class President," Chie's voice seemed very sudden, Rena making a quick movement in response; she hadn't noticed the teacher coming in.

Mion got up, her voice as strong and confident as ever. "Class! Stand. Bow."

"Good morning!" the whole class chanted in sync, following their leader's command.

"Be seated!"

With a brief nod, the teacher acknowledged Mion as everyone sat back down. "Good morning, class. Today I will introduce your new classmate, transfer student Yoshida Tetsuya-kun."

The boy, Tetsuya, stepped forth, standing quite taller than the teacher. Now that all attention was on him, his expression showed much more interest, and he dipped his head in greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

Though, a voice in Rena screamed '_liar_'. He wasn't pleased at all, she was sure of that. There was something strange about him, something the girl didn't like.. She watched, alert, as Chie guided him to a table by the twins behind her. So Tetsuya was the same grade.. who on Earth would transfer just a little more than a half year before graduation? Maybe he had committed a crime..?

"What's the matter?" Keiichi whispered, leaning closer. His eyes were more curious than concerned.

"I..I'm not sure about him," she replied in a hushed voice, turning her eyes back to the boy as the twins introduced themselves. The two girls didn't seem to have the same kind of suspicion, and Tetsuya was looking at them in confusion, trying to find out how to tell them apart. Right now, he seemed like a perfectly normal new student, trying to judge his situation. "I can't explain it though," Rena muttered lowly. "I just don't trust him."

* * *

**[A/N]**

And there we go. Chapter 1. Considering I uploaded the original chapter 1 one year ago, this feels like no progress at all, but I suppose it IS progress.. at least it's almost 5000 words long this time around, and I personally think it's much better.

I might as well have called the chapter "Chapter 1, The Chapter of Foreshadowings".. either way, leave a review, some constructive criticism and tell me what you think's going on and whatnot, then you'll make the authress happy!

I gotta go though, so I'll leave this short!  
_Jya ne!_  
~ Cherrylin

P.s.; I uploaded the Part I page together with Chapter 1, because I thought Part I would be a poor upload alone.


	4. Chapter 2: Objection

_**1**__**st**__** August 2012**_

Hey there again! Seems I have finished yet another chapter. Next chapter might take a bit though..

Enjoy!

* * *

_Back then, I thought he was different.. I thought he was just shy. If only I had known.. if only I had known what he'd do to us.. to _me_.._

**CHAPTER 1.2 (2): Objection**

_Shōwa 58, July 7 - Thursday_

It had hurt. The pain and agony, the fear.. it was all still so clear in the young blonde's ragged mind. How _that man _had yelled at her, beaten her up.. pushed her down the stairs, strangled her against the wall.. threatened her, commanded her to do this and that for him, forced her to appear naked in front of him, insulting her for everything she did... all while _that man _would play mahjong with his friends and get drunk.. for the money he earned as her "guardian".

Feeling so defenseless, broken.. It wasn't fair.. what had she done to deserve that? Was this the punishment for- she didn't want to remember it.. didn't want to remember what she did in that park.. Fact was, the club, her friends, had saved her. Even if her body was still covered in bruises, she was safe now. The police had taken care of _that man_, Satoko reminded herself. She didn't have to worry about _him_ anymore.

"Hey, Hanyū-chan, let me try something."

The blonde looked up at the sound of Shion's voice, the girl approaching Hanyū. Everyone turned their attention to them in curiosity, quietly watching as the teenager sat down in a chair in front of the former goddess. Shion brushed her hands through the lilac hair, dividing it into two bundles with her fingers. Her arms' movements were light and gentle, but Hanyū still made a quick uncomfortable flinch when her horns were touched, clearly sensitive. Satoko felt a bit of pity for her; the club, as well as the class and most other people they saw daily, had gotten used to the black horns jutting out from either side of Hanyū's head. Though, even so, Hanyū herself always looked somewhat humiliated whenever it was brought to someone's attention.

"Onee, give me your hairband." Shion said as she got up, and started to gather the lilac hair in one side.

"Hm? Why?" The sister frowned, looking slightly confused for a moment.

"Just do it."

The club looked at their leader, who slowly put her hand behind her head, releasing her long, green hair. Satoko blinked, suddenly realizing just how much alike the twins looked. True, they were and had always been identical siblings.. but everyone was used to telling them apart by how they set up their hair. Now that this difference was gone, there was little other than their taste in clothing that separated them.

Too lazy to get up, Mion simply passed the hairband to Rena, who passed it on to Shion. The girl took it with a brief nod, and wrapped the long bundle of lilac hair around one of Hanyū's horns. Using the hairband, she made a long ponytail in one side, being especially cautious to not hurt their friend. Then, after looking at it thoroughly from all angles to be sure the horn was well hidden, Shion went to the other side of Hanyū to do the same, using the ribbon taken from her own hair.

"Voíla~!" Standing up in a proud pose, Shion had her arms stretched out towards Hanyū, as if she was showcasing her newest successful creation at some worldwide art convention.

"You don't even know what_ 'voíla' _means!" Keiichi exclaimed mockingly.

Sending the boy a challenging glare with one eye, Shion remained in her pose. "Shut up, Kei-chan. I've had French classes in the past, I know perfectly well what _'voíla' _means."

Satoko turned her full attention to Hanyū; sitting in the chair - with a light blush on her cheeks, clearly feeling awkward with so many eyes focused at her - the girl was twiddling her fingers nervously, her lilac hair set up in twintails. It looked a bit weird, as one side was set up with a hairband, the other a ribbon, but it gave the general idea. The hair was thick enough to hide the horns, unless someone intentionally searched for them or completely messed up her hair.. so of course, Hanyū's new hairstyle didn't stand a chance when Rena couldn't restrain herself any longer.

Squealing her usual '_omochikaerii_', the red-haired girl darted up, almost flipping over a table in the process, and took Hanyū up in her arms, spinning her around like a tornado. "Cute, cute, cute, _cuute! _Haauu~, you're so adowable! I wanna take you home! !"

Everyone smiled or laughed, except the former goddess who was letting out her characteristic, nervous 'hauu'ing.

"Rena, I doubt you'll think she's all that cute if she throws up on you!" Satoko called out, causing the redhead to halt her spinning instantly with a confused 'huh'. The club laughed further, Rena putting her poor victim down.

Hanyū's eyes were practically swirling with dizziness, her legs wobbling under her weight, though, it didn't take long for her to regain her balance. The twintail that was tied up with Shion's ribbon was an untidy mess now thanks to Rena's little 'episode', however, the other side had yet to be defeated, even if it needed some attention if it were to hide her horn again.

"Of course," Shion began, looking at the lilac-haired girl with a sigh, "it's just a suggestion."

A smile of appreciation curved Hanyū's lips as she freed her hair once again, letting it hang loose. "Thanks, Shion. I think I'll consider it when I'm going out in public."

"Mhm, looks nice 'n all," Mion suddenly got up, "but last time I checked, this old man was the leader of a club with hardcare activities and cruel punishments, not for styling each other's hair like a bunch of ridiculous girls! Now come on, everyone, it's about time we decided on a game!"

**'''**

_Watching my friends, playing together, smiling... it's so peaceful. So joyful. Who would've thought that these fun and happy days were ahead of the endless June? Sure, no life is ever problem-free, but we know how to find the solutions now. No matter how painful, we will solve any obstacle. So that was what awaited me after my thousand-year journey, hm..?_

_It wasn't a waste.. none of it was. I know that now._

_It was a long, bloodstained journey through suffering, through tragedy.. but we made an end to it. Together, we defeated Fate itself. Hehe.. Just try, Fate. You'll never tear us down again. I know that now. I'm surrounded by the friends I love; and we won't let you hurt us._

_...I'm ridiculous. There's no such thing as a 'Fate' that cannot be changed. More than anyone, Keiichi taught me that. And he's absolutely right; if Fate decides misery for us, we will change it. Together, we will create the miracles that can defeat Fate. We have the willpower to do so._

_Happiness warms my heart; life's perfect now._

**'''**

"Rika? Rika, are you sleeping?" Satoko's voice cut through her thoughts. "You should sleep at night!"

The blue-haired girl shook her head awake, looking around. Mion was looking at her at the other end of the gathered tables, despite shuffling a deck of cards with all the skill of a professional dealer. There was a mocking grin plastered on the tomboy's face, but she said nothing, continuously letting her fingers work on the cards.

"N..nipah~" Rika smiled innocently, swallowing a bit under the club leader's intense glare. She had been lost in thought, mentally almost challenging Fate.

Mion grinned, laughing lowly and turned her attention back to her cards. "You didn't hear what we decided on, did ya, Rika-chan?"

"Sorry, I didn't," the girl said in the most sincere, sweet voice she could. "What are we going to play~?"

"Yes, that's the question, isn't it?" The tomboy mocked, though not unfriendly. "Too bad you didn't hear it."

"Aaw, Mi-chan! Poor Rika-chan was just tired! Just _tired_!" Rena exclaimed to Rika's left, making the blue-haired girl realize that everyone was sitting around the table again. Before she had drifted off to her own little thoughts, they had all been giving Hanyū attention for the twintails, but now they were all seated, ready to play. It wasn't the first time she had been spacey, discussing with herself about how they had defeated tragedy, but she felt rather awkward.

The girl cast her glance around the table; by her left side, sat Rena, her gaze sympathetic. To her left, at the table end facing the rest of them, sat Keiichi, his arm supporting his head. To his left (and in front of Rena), Mion was playing with the cards in her hands. To her left (and in front of Rika herself), Shion was resting her chin in her hands, her eyes distant. To her left was Satoko, seemingly rather amused, and opposite of Satoko (to Rika's right), Hanyū was looking at her with a gentle smile. Nobody sat at the table end opposite of Keiichi, and with a brief, hollow feeling, the blue-haired girl couldn't help it but to miss Satoshi. Though, she shook it away. _He'll come back eventually.._

Then all of a sudden, Mion slammed the deck of cards down onto the table - yet leaving them neatly stacked as though they had been placed with great care. Everyone flinched slightly at the sudden noise and movement, looking at their leader in confusion.

"Okay, guys, before we play; I've done some thinking-"

"Oh _shit_!" Keiichi mocked instantly.. but unfortunately for him, he didn't manage to dodge when the club leader hit him with her half-filled plastic bottle; he yelped a little and rubbed his forehead, though it didn't wipe his cheeky smile off his face.

"No.. really," Mion continued as though nothing had happened. "I know it's only been three days, but.. Tetsuya."

Rena tensed. "Yeah? What about him?" she asked in an almost cold voice, unusual for her. Looking at her with new-found awareness, Rika wondered why the redhead suddenly seemed hostile.. did she know something?

"It might be a bit too early to take it into consideration, but I thought of inviting him into the club. He s-"

"I object!" Snapping aggressively, Rena was looking at the tomboy with a stern gaze. It made Rika feel a shiver down her spine; why would she object so quickly? She had been the first to accept Keiichi into the club.. so why not Tetsuya? Though, admittedly, Rika didn't really want to let him in either. This was the club she had fought Fate with. These were her beloved friends. It'd be complete if.. _when_, Satoshi came back, but otherwise.. this was _the_ club. These were _the_ club members.

"I take it you know him, then?" Mion didn't hide the challenge in her voice.

"I.. no, I don't, but-"

"Man, Rena," the leader sighed, "I thought _you_ knew to not judge people so quickly-"

"Same to you."

Mion gritted her teeth aggressively.

"H-hey hey! Girls!" Keiichi leaned forward, putting a hand on each friends' shoulder. "What the hell's with the attitude? Don't fight! That's not gonna get us anywhere!"

A moment of awkward silence followed, the hostile atmosphere making everyone rather uncomfortable. "R-Rena," Rika carefully began, "what about Tetsuya?" _Will he destroy this happiness..?_

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Mion!" Keiichi growled, "are you in love with him already or something? ! Hear Rena out!"

The fierce tomboy flinched, but then distracted herself by playing with her cards, cooling down her anger. She said nothing, but Rika figured her silence was more caused by Keiichi's accusation than anything else.

"Well.. I.." Rena's eyes softened, still focused on her leader. "I know it's not right to judge anyone, but I think it's too soon to decide this. We don't really know anything about him. We should wait and see what happens for now."

Mion sighed, still working on forming a small pyramid with the deck. "Surely, there must have been some particular reason as to why you would go ahead and interrupt me with your.. oh so passionate objection?"

"Big words.." Keiichi commented.

"Shut.."

An awkward hesitation passed by, before Rena finally answered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, Mi-chan, but I just don't trust him. He's.. there's something about him. I can't really explain it."

With a flick of her finger, Mion ruined the pyramid nonchalantly. "If he's got a sin, we should help him out of it, or allow him to forget it.. opposed to leaving him dwelling alone in darkness. I thought that was something we all learned together through all those.. worlds," she nodded briefly toward Rika.

Rena lowered her head. "Yes.. but.." the girl sighed. "Anyway, Mi-chan, why would you want him in the club?"

All eyes turned to the leader. Rika wondered how many approved and objected to the thought of letting him in. Hanyū's eyes almost told her she objected, but the rest of the club seemed neutral; if they had an opinion, they didn't carry signs of it. Mion sorted the cards as she spoke. "To me, he seems the silent kind who wouldn't really ask for anything of others. Rather independent, maybe even lonely. He's not really talking to anyone in the class. Thought we might be able to bring a cheerful side forth in him?"

"Though, even if you asked him, I think he'd object," her sister said calmly. "He pays little interest in anything you tell him."

"Who knows. Anyway," Mion's tone went from cold to cheerful - so suddenly it was almost creepy, - clearly intending to put this debate away for now. "I think it's time for Kei-chan's daily losing!"

In a matter of seconds, the hostile atmosphere was gone. Time was flying once they begun playing dai fugō, and since they were playing with an old set, the victories and losses were quick. Hiding a good hand was practically impossible, and the game quickly became a battle of wits and familiarity with the cards. Mion was leading, but Satoko was right below her with only a few points. Then on the other end of the scoreboard, Rika and Keiichi had yet to gain any points.

So for now, Rika just focused on winning at least just _one_ round. If she did, then Keiichi would wind up as the only loser (so forth he remained at the bottom), and likely end up as victim of Mion's crazy punishments.

"_YEUCH_!"

Everyone's attention turned to Keiichi when he suddenly yelled out, making a spastic motion with his hand. The boy then stared at the floor with a disgusted expression. Mion followed his gaze, looking down at the floor too. Rika, sitting a bit too far from him to tell what was going on, took the time to study the back of all the cards in play.

"Aw, come on now, Kei-chan... you aren't afraid of _spiders_, are you?" A mocking tone filled the club leaders' voice, catching the others' attention.

"N-no, I.. Just don't like them." Keiichi's face heated up in embarrassment.

"Ohohoho~" Satoko cheerfully laughed, "Keiichi-san's scared of _spiders_!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Mii~, poor Keiichi, pity-pity~" Rika chanted happily, having scanned all the cards thoroughly enough to practically see everyone's hands.

With a low, cruel laughter, Mion put her cards down and got up. She bent down to the floor and came back up with the arachnid on her palm. "Prove it, city-boy," she grinned as she held her hand towards Keiichi.

The boy shifted himself away ever so slightly, grossed out. "Forget it, I'm not touching it."

"N'aaw, why not? Are ya scared of this lil' fella? Are ya?"

"No I'm not! I'm not _scared_! I think it's ugly and disgusting, alright! Now get that thing outta my face!" He locked his hand around her wrist and moved her hand away from himself. "And _you're_ disgusting for touching it!"

Mion laughed. "Heck, Kei-_chan_! I thought _you _were the man in this club, not _me_!"

"You've always been a boy, Onee." Shion joked with a wry smile, although her words lacked energy. Rika felt a bit of concern for the teenager, but her attention remained on the club leader.

"Yeah, I do wonder why I wasn't born a boy.. but I'm starting to think that Kei-chan must be a girl with a funny voice!" Mion went towards the windows.

"I can easily prove my gender to you, right here and right now, Mion.." The boy said with a dirty smirk, eyeing her with a sudden challenging gaze.

"Oh yeah?" Mion opened a window, letting the spider out. She returned the perverted smile as she approached him again. "What are ya waitin' for, then? Why don't you let him get some fresh air?"

"..Okay, knock it off!" Shion suddenly snapped, glaring at her sister. Turning her head toward her, Rika noticed an anxious blush on Satoko's cheeks as she looked the other way.

Mion sighed in annoyance, sitting back down in her chair. "Tch.. You're boring, Shion.. It's getting late anyway, so I suppose we should let this be the last round," she said as she picked up her cards.

Rika won that round.

**'''''**

_Shōwa 58, July 8 - Friday_

"So," he let out a wide yawn and stretched as he walked, his body not yet awake, "tell me again why we needed to leave so early."

"We have to talk to Mi-chan," Rena answered solemnly, the exact same reply she had given him a couple of times before already.

"Right." That explanation was as good as any for Keiichi; he was too tired to really care anyway. He had almost fallen asleep last night, when the phone had rung. Refusing to take it at first, he had felt some little joy inside when the phone finally went quiet. But the peace didn't last, the phone ringing immediately again, and even though he had been reluctant to take it, he could tell the caller was going to be very persistent, and probably not leave him alone.

It turned out to be Rena. He had barely greeted her on the phone, before she began talking about Tetsuya, wanting to discuss him with Keiichi. The girl's voice had been deeply serious, and she was clearly very determined to keep the new student from being invited into their club. Then in the end, she had convinced Keiichi to go with her to the twins' before school, to make sure Mion wouldn't let Tetsuya in.

_This is pretty ridiculous. He's just a guy like me,_ the exhausted boy thought to himself as he suppressed another yawn. What was so bad about him anyway? He could agree it was too early to let a new member in, but still.. to go ahead and make such a ruckus out of it?

Keiichi hadn't really noticed they ever passed the water mill, as Rena knocked on the door to the Sonozaki manor. Standing still, he noticed the unbearable heat, as though the sun had just chosen him for a target to fry. He let out a deep breath, his gaze focused on the door.. nothing happened, so Rena rung the bell. A few seconds passed before the door was opened by a grumpy looking elder woman, staring at the two of them with increasing irritation. She frowned angrily, gritting her teeth at the teenagers.

"And what on Earth do you youngsters think you're doing, making noise at my front door so early in the day?"

Before Keiichi could say a word, his female friend stepped forward and bowed in honest respect. "Good morning, Oryō-san. We need to talk to Mi-chan. It's urgent."

Disbelief edged the woman's eyes before she huffed. "Pft.. youngsters these days. Thinking they can be allowed to do everything with a few gestures."

A quiet, awkward atmosphere fell upon them. Anxiety rose in Keiichi as the woman continued to look at them with a venomous gaze, and he figured he might as well break the silence. He bowed a bit down as he spoke. "So.. erh, may we go inside?"

The woman almost spat her words at them. "Yes, and you better hurry before I change my mind! Mion is in her room."

Swallowing, the boy followed Rena as she went in, and as they walked down the hallways, Keiichi yet again felt stunned by the size of the manor. He had been here a few times before, but he was always amazed; this time was no exception. How much money did this home even cost? The mountains were practically their backyard, and yet, they still had money to burn if they so desired.

As he stopped admiring the place, he realized how Oryō only had mentioned one of her granddaughters. After looking over his shoulder to be sure the old hag was out of earshot, he turned his attention to the red-haired girl by his side. "Hey, Rena... when Shion moved in here, didn't they say something about sharing Mion's room?"

"Yes, they do. Why are you asking?"

"Well... why.. why didn't-"

"-didn't Oryō-san say 'the twins' instead of Mi-chan? Keiichi-kun... Shi-chan is not really acknowledged here."

_Now that I think about it, you said we needed to talk to Mion.. not a word about her sister..._ "But.. why wouldn't her _own family _recognize her?" He had heard rumors that Shion had a rather low reputation among the 'higher-up' kind of people, but.. her own kin and blood?

"Hush," Rena said and knocked on a door. "Mi-chan, Shi-chan? Are you awake?"

The door was slid open, and they were met by tired, teal eyes. "What the hell are you doing here so early," the girl muttered, but didn't seem to expect an answer. Keiichi studied her in attempt to determine which twin was before him, but as she stood there, in only a loose kimono and her hair down, with neither a tomboy- nor a gentle sparkle in her eyes, he realized it was impossible to figure. The girl let out a tired groan after the silence had run its course. "Whatever... come in." She turned and went toward the corner of the room, where the other twin was still curled up in her futon, and gave her a light kick. "Get up, sleepyhead, we have visitors."

The room's walls were practically hidden with shelves, reaching from the floor to the ceiling... shelves filled with games, manga, games, decorations, manga, games, a TV, and some foreign games.. A single wardrobe stood in one corner, just opposite of two futons. A table also took up some of the space close to the door, paper and a bunch of different kind of pencils and pens on top of it, and under this low-legged table were a couple of small drawers.

Overall, the room still looked like Mion's small museum of games. The only visible signs that Shion had moved in here, was the increased amount of manga and decorations (and he could only assume the wardrobe contained far more clothes now), and obviously, the added futon.

The twin sat down on her bed, her sister sitting up slowly. Keiichi immediately got even more confused; as they sat there, side by side, they seemed perfectly mirrored. The twin to his right, (the one who had 'welcomed' them) gestured for them to sit down, which both he and Rena did without a word.

The girl blinked at them. "I'm guessing you want to talk about something importa-"

"Oh my God, my head!" Suddenly, her sister almost hammered her head into the other's shoulder, but was immediately pushed away by the surprised twin - who in the same instant seemed quite awake.

"What the heck!"

"Oow... s-sorry," the girl rubbed her head, "but I have one hell of a headache... dammit.."

"You should stop drinking, you fool."

"I know.. I know..."

Sighing, the girl sitting to the right put her hand on her sister's back, comforting her. Keiichi smiled a little, figuring who was who; obviously, only Shion would be gentle to pet her sister, and only the rebellious Mion would be drinking..

Shion turned her attention to the two. "Sorry about that... what do you want to talk about..?"

"Tetsuya-kun," Rena said nonchalantly.

"..that again? I assume you're going to say, 'don't invite him into the club'?"

"Yes."

"Why not?" Shion narrowed her eyes, making Keiichi realize she must be on her sister's side in the matter (who still seemed too busy about her head to really pay any attention to the conversation).

"It's probably more relevant to Mion," the boy remarked before Rena spoke, and nodded toward her; he felt a bit of pity for pushing a matter like this onto a girl, who was clearly suffering the after effects of drinking too much alcohol, but she was the club leader after all.

Shion lifted an eyebrow. "You say it's more relevant to me, yet look at my sister? Kei-chan, I honestly thought you could tell us apart by now."

_..erh, wait.. what?_ His cheeks blushed red in embarrassment as he turned his attention back to the talking twin. "Oh please.. you're kidding me," he muttered lowly, trying to avoid eye-contact (though, failing in his desire to study the two of them, filled with disbelief; what if they were trying to trick him?)

The girl gave him a mocking wink and grinned, putting her free hand at the back of her head, characteristic for 'Mion'.

"Oh whatever," Keiichi looked away. "Rena, just... just say what you wanted to say, I'll shut up now."

"Mi-chan," Rena begun immediately, "while I know it's not nice to judge anyone, I just don't trust him. If I recall, I told you when Keiichi-kun came here that I felt he had done something, but I also figured he regretted it. I get the same feeling from Tetsuya-kun, except.. it doesn't seem like he feels bad for it. I'm.. pretty certain he's bad."

Mion took her time to answer, taking a deep breath. "You have never been wrong before in your perception about people, Rena, I'll give you that.. you even told me you doubted Takano, even if we had no idea back then that she was a danger to us. But I still can't help it but to think, what _if_ he's lonely? I think you as well as most in the club knows what it feels like to be left out, to feel alone. Maybe a good circle of friends would help him? If it's true what you say, that he's a 'bad' person.. then maybe the club can change him to a better person?"

"Then I suggest we try to befriend him first and talk to him like normal. But don't let him into the club as of yet, unless he asks for it himself. I agree that it's important to get to know him, but I believe that inviting him, especially so early, is just wrong. And also," Rena lowered her voice a little. "I talked to Rika-chan.. and I think she has a point; this is _our_ club. The club that stood together against Fate.. I don't think anyone other than ourselves could ever understand this.."

"You sound like some kind of deputy," Shion remarked with a drunken slurr, but she wasn't looking at them; her eyes were fixed on a small dark stain on the wall, that seemingly was very interesting for the still hung-over girl.

Mion ignored her sister. "I do see your point, Rena.. as well as Rika's. But I want no hostility toward him in any manner because of your prejudging. And I will not keep him out if he want to join us."

"I never said anything about treating him badly.. He should, of course, be treated the same as any other transfer student. I'm just asking to not _invite_ him yet."

"Exactly..." Mion stretched, before her hand resumed petting her sister (who at this point giggled lowly at the wall). "Though, Rena... and Kei-chan.. You really didn't have to come here and say all this. I already decided to wait."

"Waaait, wait, wait, wait.. What..? No, why?" Shion said in a low voice as she tilted her head, her gaze still focused on the stain.

Her twin turned her attention to her, bewildered. "What do you mean, 'why'?"

"Don't say such nonsense.."

"I.. what..."

All three teenagers stared at Shion, waiting for some explanation. Yet, the girl only continued to glare at the wall with blood-shot eyes. "Did not.." she then said, her low voice almost sounding depressed.

"..oh for hell's sake," Mion sighed deeply in realization, hitting her palm to her forehead. "Shion, you retard, how often must you converse with that frikn' _stain_..?"

"It started.."

Keiichi stomach almost hurt from his suppressed laughter; the situation was just way too hilarious, and at the same time, downright sad. They came here to discuss Tetsuya, and now Shion was utterly distracted by some old dark marking in the wall.

"Onee.. it's lying."

"No it's not, it's not sayin' a bloody thing."

The confused sister whined lowly and leaned closer to her twin. "Yes.. it.. it's scaring me..."

"...hell you're far out." Mion muttered, and wrapped an arm around Shion. "Think you'd best stay home today."

"But.. no.. the... thing's.. gonna get me."

"Go back to sleep.."

Shion only replied with a disapproving, muffled noise, but was already starting to close her eyes in the arms of her twin.

With a deep, embarrassed sigh, Mion returned her attention to the two visitors, looking at them slightly apologetically. "Don't mind her.. and don't tell anyone.. not even herself, alright?"

* * *

**[A/N]**

Seems like I had a bit of fun in the middle of this chapter.. putting some… italic.. text… for whichever purpose. Suppose it got some purpose. Otherwise I wouldn't purposefully put it there, would I? Suppose not. That'd be without purpose… suppose I sound confusing.. that was on purpose, too.

Anyway! "Chapter 2, the Second Chapter of Foreshadowings"! Or something.. I make a lot of foreshadowing..

So, this Tetsuya guy.. is Rena's perception right, or is it Mion who's the right one, saying he's shy and lonely? Leave your thoughts in your review, (if you leave a review that is.. but it'd certainly make me a very happy authress).

Again, new readers, welcome! "Old" readers (can I say it like that..?), thank you for your support! Please don't spoil anything for the unknowing souls..

~ Cherrylin


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